10 steps to make road tripping with the kids fun

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Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it? But it is possible, as one Melbourne-based family will attest – after driving around Australia, then around the world with two littlies in the back, they’ve released a book on the topic.

Mum Sandra Khazam shares her favourite pointers:

1. Before you go, involve kids in the planning so they know where you are all going and why. Depending on their age, they can also help with looking up things to do and places to stay.

2. Try to structure a trip that makes the journey as fun as the destination. Plan for activities on the way.

3. Have lots of sugar-free snacks in the car, like crackers, fruit and rice snacks. (When their mouths are full they can’t ask “are we there yet?")

4. Car games (cards, rhyming games etc) are good.

5. Better yet, play car games that relate to the landscapes you are travelling through (I Spy, Spotto).

6. A playlist where everyone chooses some songs helps keep the peace!

7. Keep daily driving times to a minimum and make sure there’s an activity either side of the driving. For example, have a swim in the morning, drive approximately four hours a day, then go sightseeing in the afternoon.

8. Stopping at playgrounds when you see them is good for a quick release of energy, too.

9. Seat organisers are great for storing books, paper and pencils that can be used while on the road. These hang on the back of the front seats.

10. Plan out an approximate route and itinerary but be flexible enough to take opportunities to deviate when they arise.

Drive Around the World is out now. (Hybrid Publishing , $35.00).

Editor
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This geological wonder is hiding in the heart of Victoria

    Michael TurtleBy Michael Turtle
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    Mythical, historical and most of all, spectacularly beautiful, Buchan Caves demands you take your time – and a tour. 

    In the pools of water, so still they could be mirrors, the reflections of the stalactites make these limestone towers seem even taller. Almost 400 million years ago, an underground river carved through the rock to create the Buchan Caves . Now, artworks created by dripping water adorn these subterranean galleries: stalactites hanging from the ceiling, pillars connecting some to the ground, even curtain-like wave formations clinging to the stone.

    Caves House
    Visit the caves for the day or stay onsite in the campground or at the self-contained Caves House. (Image: Ben Savage)

    “This is called the Fairy Cave because it’s full of fairy dust,” a guide tells visitors as they enter a cavern glittering with “calcite that’s solidified into thousands of tiny little diamond shapes”.  Buchan Caves is Victoria’s largest cave system, but Fairy Cave is a highlight and, along with nearby Royal Cave, is accessible only by tour. Naturally cold, naturally dark, these caverns deep below the surface light up as the local experts tell their stories. 

    couple walking in cave
    You’ll need to book a guided tour to see the caves. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the hundreds of caves, some can be easily accessed from the surface. For instance, a casual stroll along the FJ Wilson Interpreted Walk, as kangaroos watch on from beneath acacia trees, leads into the 400-metre-long Federal Cave and its natural steps of white limestone. A slightly longer track, the Granite Pools Walk heads through soaring forest down into moss-covered gullies where the calls of lyrebirds trill through the leaves. 

    A quick history lesson on Buchan Caves 

    Buchan Caves
    Buchan Caves are a must-visit attraction in Gippsland. (Image: Tourism Australia)

    Among the geology and the nature are millennia of history. This part of East Gippsland connects the high country to the coast and was long a place of refuge for the local Gunaikurnai people on seasonal migrations to the mountains. Archaeological studies show humans lived here up to 18,000 years ago, with artefacts such as small stone tools found around the site. But not too far into the caverns – oh no! The Gunaikurnai didn’t dare venture deep into the dark at Buchan Caves, telling stories they were inhabited by gnome-like nyols (small grey-skinned creatures that could steal memories). 

    Buchan Caves Hotel
    The Buchan Caves Hotel was rebuilt after burning down in 2014. (Image: Jess Shapiro)

    By the early 1900s, more people had started to hear about these incredible caves and so the Moon family set up home at the site and started to run tours below ground for intrepid visitors. More than a century later, their historic residence is available as accommodation, with the three-bedroom house sleeping up to eight people and now equipped with modern amenities the Moons could only have dreamt of. 

    But whether you stay overnight or just spend the day here, it’s worth taking your time to explore more than just the main caves, to get a deeper understanding of one of Victoria’s fascinating geological attractions.